I am voting Liberal Democrat in the General and local elections on 7th May. Why?
Locally it is a fairly easy decision. The Liberal Democrats have won a majority on Oadby and Wigston Borough Council for several elections. They have run the council effectively, budgeted sensibly and their councillors keep in touch and consult via regular leaflets and residents’ surveys.
They are also the only party who seem to be serious about the local elections as they are the only ones contesting every seat in the Borough.
The General Election required more thought, primarily because Nick Clegg has had to make many difficult decisions as leader in a coalition was always going to be a tough ask. However, the party’s grassroots and many MPs are broadly social liberals like myself. A future leader is likely to be tougher on both the Tories and Labour if any cooperation in required. The Liberal Democrats have an excellent agenda for reforming government. They also have a strong environmental streak, coupled with clear, costed and moderate tax and spending priorities.
In Harborough Constituency, which covers Oadby and Wigston, the Liberal Democrats have been the main challengers to the Tories in every election since 1979 and obtained their best result as recently as 2005. Under our voting system, a vote for any other party only helps the Conservatives win again.
So on 7th May, I am voting for Zuffar Haq, the Lib Dems’ local candidate for MP who is a proven campaigner for the NHS and on many other issues. If you live locally, I urge you to vote for Zuffar too.
